By CLTure
June 21, 2023
Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s TiaCorine has been selected as one of 12 artists in XXL’s Freshman Class, an annual list spotlighting up-and-coming rappers published by the hip-hop magazine since 2007. While TiaCorine is hardly a “freshman” to many rap fans in the Carolinas, she earns the spot following the release of her 2022 album I Can’t Wait and a remix of her viral hit “FreakyT,” which has amassed over 23 million streams on Spotify alone.
Growing up in a multicultural household — with a Japanese and African American father and an Indian mother — Tia Corine Shults is a graduate of R.J. Reynolds High School and Winston-Salem State University. She gained attention from local radio stations, DJs, and clubs with her 2018 single “Lotto,” and released her debut project, 34Corine, in 2020 through the Charlotte-based record label South Coast Music Group.
TiaCorine was recently announced as a performer at Jay-Z’s Made in America festival in September and is coming off a U.S. tour with Memphis rapper Key Glock. She also made a guest appearance during Smino and J.I.D’s co-headlining tour stop in Charlotte, and is set to perform at Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud, and North Carolina’s Hopscotch Music Festival in 2023.
Tia joins GloRilla, Finesse2Tymes, Lola Brooke, Rob49, Fridayy, 2Rare, SleazyWorld Go, Central Cee, Real Boston Richey, Luh Tyler, and DC The Don in the 2023 XXL Freshman Class.
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